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As it would appear, Siri and iCloud are viewed as potentially problematic security risks at IBM. So much so, that the company blocks the use of Siri and iCloud from all of the iPhones of their staff. The reason? Siri queries send information over to Apple’s servers and IBM sees this as unsecure due to the ignorance of what happens with the data as it is processed on Apple's end. Additionally, iCloud stores the employees’ information on publicly available servers, which is also viewed as unsafe by IBM.

This means if you work for IBM, then you will not be able to spread your personal information across several devices and not be able to ask Siri for the closest restaurant. The spokesperson and company CIO (chief information officer), Jeanette Horan, had this to say:

Originally Posted by Jeanette Horan

The trend toward employee-owned devices isn't saving IBM any money, says Jeanette Horan. Instead, she says, it has created new challenges for her department of 5,000 people, because employees' devices are full of software that IBM doesn't control.

The mandatory restriction comes off as a little ironic since the company had originally tried to be a little less restrictive on making employees use specific devices for work. Many employees are using iPhones, however a good chunk of employees continue to use company-issued devices to avoid issues that could cause incompatibility or security risks. Citing MIT, IBM issued BlackBerry smartphones to 40,000 of their roughly 400,000 employees while about 80,000 continue to use their own kind of smartphone including the iPhone.

While the move is understandable, since many people can publicly use the iCloud servers, it would probably be a good idea if Apple started offering a corporate version of their iCloud service with different servers that could be dedicated to different companies. This would have a heavier sense of security since the servers would be separate from that of the servers used for the public and the dedicated servers would ensure safety from conflicts with other companies' data. In turn, Apple could generate some revenue from offering the services.

I don't get the big deal with this being on every site. Its a standard practice. While using your own device connected to a Company's WiFi certain applications are blocked. My company blocks all personal sharing sites to make sure company data doesn't get sent out over them. If we want to get a work file to my iphone I have to email it to my self so the company can track it if they want to. If I want to use personal sharing site I have to disconnect from wifi and it works again. Its not like the lock your phone down when your at home.

The part about having private company icloud wouldn't matter because these are not company issued devices they are personal phones/devices on a company network.

Siri is not all that great anyways.
I want restaurants around me I use Yelp, it gives tons more info than Siri.
Security is very important to companies, that is why so many still uses Blackberry.
When iOS can be just as secure then they may give business to Apple, until then no iPhones!

Sounds like IBM is also being very cautious about employee pilfering. I mean if your info is on a public server, it can be seen=yes! Good way for a company like Apple to see who works where..interesting.

Clearly IBM people absolutely hate apple because and older guy that used to work there was criticizing him having an iPhone. My youth pastor said, as a comeback, that IBM didn't make a phone and that it would look stupid carrying around a computer for a phone.